HCI Spring Gala & 31st Annual General Meeting
Wednesday 8th to Sunday 12th May 2024 (4 Nights)
Driffield Showground, East Yorkshire, YO25 9FB
Welcome to a New Venue and Format for the 2024 AGM Our 2024 Spring Gala is treading new ground and heading to Driffield in beautiful East Yorkshire. Driffield, known as the Capital of the Wolds, is of Anglo Saxon origin. There is plenty to see and do in the area with Beverley and its Minster only 3 miles south and Hull a little further. To the north are the seaside resorts of Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough all within easy reach by bus or train.
Some of the highlights of what I am sure will be an excellent time together…..
Wednesday: Arrival, HCI informal get together in the evening
Thursday: Free time
Friday: Table-top sale, AGM, and Live Entertainment in the evening with Henry Hunter
Saturday: Free time, Gala Dinner and Dance. Saturday evening
This is your chance to dress up, eat, drink and dance the night away to DJ Stef. (make your dinner choices from the menu on Page 7 of the December 2023 newsletter)
This AGM will see the return of the HCI Modification Trophy and a chance to showcase those handy DIY mods to your Motorhomes. The table top sale is an opportunity
to offer your unwanted camping associated articles for sale or to pick up a bargain.
Attend the Annual General Meeting on Friday afternoon, and have YOUR say in the running of YOUR Club. All evening events will be held in the Main Hall.
Parking will be on a mix of hard standing and grass. No hook-up. Own Sanitation essential, however, limited showers and toilets are available. Bring your own drinks each evening EXCEPT Saturday evening when a PAY BAR will be open.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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HCI Spring Gala & AGM follow on rally to Batemans Brewery, Wainfleet
Sunday 12th May to Wednesday 15th May (3 Nights)
Nigel & Teresa with Phil & Trudie invite you to a follow-on rally from the 2024 AGM at Driffield to Batemans Brewery at Wainfleet All Saints, Skegness, PE24 4JE
Bateman’s have their own campsite with 240v hook ups at the side of the brewery and the new shower block should be open. Included in the rally fee will be a Brewery Tour, Tasting, Bateman Quiz and a simple single course meal.
Wainfleet itself has 3 Pubs which serve food and a Co-op within easy walking distance. Plus a bus service to both Skegness and Boston (bus passes could be useful!) together with a railway station for those wishing to go further.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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HCI rally to Rye Rugby Club
3rd to 8th June 2024 (5 nights)
Rye Rugby Club, East Sussex, TN31 7LS
Rye is a medieval citadel town situated above the River Rother 3 miles from the coast. It boasts half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, a 14th century ‘Ypres Tower’ which is now Rye Castle Museum and cozy pubs that snuggle around the compact town centre.
Rye Rugby club sits 1.2 miles from the town centre, on the A259. Bus stops close to the entrance will take you east towards Hythe and Dymchurch, or west towards Hastings and Eastbourne. There is a Railway Station in the town if you wish to travel further afield. (Ashford International is not far if you fancy a day trip to Paris?) Other places of interest are Camber Sands, Dungeness, Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Miniature Railway and Sissinghurst gardens to name but a few.
Roger and Sue Bishop will be our assistants at this very free and easy rally – so easy nothing is planned. The Club House and bar will be open each evening should you wish, please only purchase drinks from the bar. (it’s a Rugby Club so prices should suit) This is a new rally site for HCI. There is no limit on numbers – think Weymouth 2022.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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Appletree rally Stratford upon Avon
10th – 19th June 2024
There has been a change in respect of the Appletree Caravan and Motorhome Show at Stratford on Avon originally advertised. Appletree is now running that show in the West of England. However, they will be running a Food and Drink Show camping event at Stratford from 10th to 19th June which will include free entrance to the Race Day being held on 18th.
We are awaiting further details of what the show will entail and costs etc and these will be published as soon as received. The racecourse site is a good camping site and within walking distance along the river to the centre of Stratford upon Avon.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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HCI rally to Norfolk
Wednesday 12th June to Monday 17th June 2024 (5 nights)
Bev & Tony Townsend and Sally & Pep Heffer invite you to join them in rural mid-Norfolk for a 5 night rally. The campsite is situated next to the heritage Whitwell & Reepham Railway Station, 1 mile from the small Georgian market town of Reepham, and alongside the 26 mile long Marriott’s Way footpath, cycle-path and bridleway which follows the route of two disused railway lines, running between the city of Norwich and historic market town of Aylsham.
The station, which has been lovingly restored to its former glory re-opened in 2009, 50 years after it was closed to passengers, is accessed via steps from the campsite and has ‘The Sidings’ café and bar with a large enclosed rear garden and function room, railway museum and bookshop, as well as the collection of diesel and steam engines, trucks and carriages etc. The surrounding area has some lovely villages that are easily accessed by footpaths, cycle tracks or quiet rural roads. Public transport is available from Reepham, but it is limited.
Own sanitation is advisable although a small toilet block and one shower has recently been installed. A larger toilet block is located at the station. No EHU but cycle battery charging will be available if required.
The rally will be free and easy but walks and cycle rides will be organised, which will no doubt include visits to the surrounding villages, pubs, tea rooms and the nearby All Day Brewery. The Blickling Hall Estate (National Trust), a fine Jacobean stately home situated in 5,000 acres of parkland is an easy cycle ride away. For something a bit different, just 1.5 miles away, is ‘The Bug Parc’, the largest invertebrate zoo in the UK.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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HCI rally to Matlock (Baileans Rugby Club)
Sunday 7th July to Friday 12th July
Dave & Yvonne and Amy & Brian Sturges invite you to join them at this new location for a 5 night free and easy rally.
There is plenty to do in Derbyshire and this location gives you easy access to bus and train travel to take you around some of our beautiful county. We have access to the club house every night, if the weather isn’t kind enough to allow us to be outside.
The only organised item we plan is to provide a basic banger and burger bbq one evening, apart from this you may be able to persuade Dave to lead a walk or 2. We will have plenty of ideas and information to help you make the most of your visit.
A short walk from the site takes you to Comford, which is a historic village where there are chip shops, pubs a very limited local shop, Scarthin book shop (a readers heaven), Comford Canal which is a SSI, and Comford Historic Mills (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Fresh water, Elsan and rubbish disposal is onsite, EHU is NOT available. Toilets are available in the clubhouse when open. Dogs welcome.
Note: all pitches are on grass.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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HCI rally to Lake Annecy and the Rhone Alpes
2nd September – 22nd September
The first 12 nights will be spent at LE COIN – TRANQUILLE in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region and the last 8 nights will be at LES RIVES DU LAC on the banks of Lake Annecy. The whole 20 nights will be costed and treated as one rally but at two different venues.
LE COIN, as anybody who has been there will expect, will be very full on with some meals provided in and around the camp restaurant, two coach trips on separate days, cycling and walking activities plus the usual HCI games.
LES RIVES, will be your chance to explore the wonderful town of Annecy. We are hoping to arrange maybe a couple of local outings en-masse.
Both sites have been advised that we expect between 25 & 30 units. At the moment we have 19 interested, some of whom inevitably will need to pull out as experience tells us. It is quite possible that early in the New Year we may require a deposit in order to secure an acceptable cost for us all.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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HCI rally Lets try something different rally to the Bedfordshire Steam and Country Fayre
12th to 16th September ( 4 nights)
After a steaming success at last years HCI Rally at the Bedfordshire Steam Fayre with 34 units attending we are going to have a ‘chuffing good go’ at running it again this year.
This is at a new venue, the famous Shuttleworth Collection and Swiss Garden. More details can be found at https://www.shuttleworth.org/ and the Steam Fayre website https://bseps.org.uk/. The rally fee is being held at £150 per unit for 2 members, the same price as last year.
This is fantastic value for money as it includes entrance to the Steam Fayre every day (normally £16 each) entrance to the Shuttleworth Collection – which includes Shuttleworth House, the Swiss Gardens and the Aircraft and Vehicle Museum -one of the best in the country/world. (entrance is normally £15-50 a day Note: admission to the Collection and Swiss Garden is valid for any day but can only be used once).There is The Runway Cafe & Gift Shop on site (I can recommend the food). There will be a 2 course group meal on the Thursday night at £20 per head (not included in the rally fee) menu details to follow.
The Steam Fayre Committee are expecting a higher turnout of exhibits this year as the Dorset Steam Fayre is no longer running. Saturday night is the highlight of the weekend with all the engines and fairground lit up ast year a lot of members relived their childhood on the fairground rides. There is live music from lunchtime and each evening in the real ale tent.
There will be a fresh water and elsan point but no EHU. Dogs are welcome but on leads. Come along and enjoy a good steam up and all the fun of the fair
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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HCI rally to the Thursford Christmas Spectacular
Monday 25th -Wednesday 27th November 2024 (3Nights)
The Thursford Christmas Spectacular is once again in the HCI Rally Calendar and Peter and Maggie Milne (Designate) with Dave and Yvonne Bolton invite you to join them at this truly wonderful .experience. This renowned seasonal variety show attracts visitors and coach tours from all over the country. Those members who have been fortunate to go before, and many have attended numerous times, will testify to its magnificence. For more details go to https://www.thursford.com/christmas-spectacular/
For those who have enjoyed this event before there has been a change in the arrangements. In previous years we have been allowed to stay overnight on the car park before moving to the Rally Site the following afternoon. However, overnight parking is no longer available. This year we have booked for the 2pm AFTERNOON MATINEE on Monday 25th November and have excellent seats with a view of the whole massive stage.
Directly the show finishes, we move to the Fakenham Racecourse rally site for THREE nights.. There will be a brief Meet and Greet Monday evening with a social on Tuesday evening. We have again booked to have a two-course early Christmas dinner on the Wednesday evening. Menus will be sent with your acceptance.
This will be a free and easy rally, there is a golf course on site along with a Café which is open to all.
Fakenham, a pretty little Market town, in within easy walking distance and has everything you need including a ‘Spoons’.
We have restricted numbers to 17 units so each will have hardstanding and EHU. As we expect this to be popular, bookings will be taken on a strictly first come first served basis with a Reserve List.
For booking information please see the latest newsletter
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